Junior docs on strike, medical services paralysed

On Friday evening, a clash broke out between MBBS students of GSVM College and Samajwadi Party MLA from Sisamau, Kanpur, Irfan Solanki, and his supporters causing injuries to both the groups, including Solanki. The brawl started after some students collided with a car, which, the medicos. claim was the legislator’s car, in front of the medical college.

“I was purchasing medicine from a store in front of the medical college when some medical students collided with the car of some elderly person. When my gunner tried to intervene, the students entered into a clash and started pelting stones,” claimed Solanki, who sustained head injury in the incident.

Three FIRs, lodged on complaints of police and Solanki’s driver, include charges of rioting, attempt to murder and loot, as well as 7-Criminal Law Amendment Act against 24 medical students and several others as unidentified. Around 26 students are still detained by the police and a magisterial inquiry has been ordered in the incident by the Kanpur District Magistrate.

Doctors of the medical college allege that the police raided the hostels at night after the brawl and took several undergraduate students with them. Head of department of Community Medicine Dr R P Sharma was manhandled by the police and detained for the night before being released Saturday, alleged Dr Sanjay Kala, Proctor, GSVM College.

“26 MBBS students are still in police custody. One student sustained pelvic fracture when police threw him from first floor during the raid in the hostels,” the proctor told The Sunday Express. He said the police raided the hostel thrice at night, broke laptops and bikes apart from arbitrarily picking up students.

“At least four to five students sustained fractures and one sustained severe head injury,” Dr Amit Singh Gaur, Medical Officer of Community Health Centre, Kalyanpur, Kanpur told The Sunday Express.

“We don’t need a warrant to search hostels if there is stone pelting and lives of patients and an MLA is in peril,” said IG Kanpur Sunil Gupta.
Meanwhile, Kanpur DM Roshan Jacob said a magisterial inquiry into the incident was ordered Saturday.

“Protesting against the incident, all the doctors have gone on strike. All medical emergency services, ICU, CCU, nursing and other services are paralysed,” said Arti Lal Chandani, president, IMA Kanpur Chapter and Head of Department, Medicine at GSVM Medical College.

In Lucknow, resident doctors of King George Medical University declared boycott of work, said Dr AA Mahdi, Proctor and spokesperson of the university.